


Hold My Hand

by Nopholom



Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Angst, Bittersweet, Death Fic, Drabble, Fluff, M/M, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 13:48:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9610151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nopholom/pseuds/Nopholom
Summary: Prompt Fill: Hold My Hand.A look at some reincarnation endings.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VillaKulla](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VillaKulla/gifts).



The first time, they were separated; they had been shoulder to shoulder as they shot their rifles, but as the bullets crept up the side of the steeple, they knew they were doomed, leaning a little closer together but it wasn’t enough. Goody toppled from the tower, leaving him to collapse on the sandbags, eyes falling to the flask as Goody’s name tumbled from his lips.

 

The second time they had never met, but as he lay calm and placid on his death bed, remembering a life of fulfilment, thinking of his wife, his children, his _grandchildren_ , he felt a tug from somewhere else in the world, another light snuffing out and filling him with a sense of regret. He had never felt such a sense of loss as he did when he realised he had never met whoever held that light, he felt a tear track down his cheek as his head fell back against the pillows and his eyes fell closed.

 

The third time was the worst, he had been sent off the battlefield to locate a sniper, creeping through the underbrush, covered in dirt and scared for his life. He found the sniper’s nest empty, looking around frantically, turning just in time to catch a rifle butt to the jaw; he staggered back before lunging at the other man, a knife drawn in an instant, plunging it deep into his guts. Something gripped him and he met the other man’s terrified face, recognition and panic flashing through both their eyes; his tongue wanted to roll a foreign sound loose between them, his lips parting to release it, but there was a crack of thunder and pain flared through his stomach. “Goody?” he asked, not truly understanding the word that had escaped him, the other man’s eyes widened, watery and blue, they collapsed together in the dirt, confused and clinging to one another as they died.

 

They found each other travelling in Europe and they never left each other’s side, both of them knew, remembered their past lives together, the longing they had felt in the lives they had spent apart, it was terrifying, but at the same time they knew that if they stuck together, they would die together, and not feel that familiar ache of regret deep in their chests when it happened.

“Decades,” Ellison said,

“Hm?” he turned his head to the side, sinking his cheek into the pillow, looking at his lover and sighing happily,

“We’ve been together for _decades_ ,” he mused idly, staring up at the ceiling with knowledgeable blue eyes, so pale and tired but still vibrant like they’d always been.

“Yeah,” he agreed, it had been a long time, “Crazy,” he noted and Ellison looked over at him, smiling warmly, the creases around his eyes were deep, his skin was smattered with freckles and his hair was laced with grey, unlike Li’s hair, which had gone completely silver when he was forty-seven, Ellison had ribbed him about it endlessly, still teased him about it now.

“You are, stoppin’ with me for all this time…” Li laughed at that, cracking his back a little before shuffling a little closer in the bed, Ellison’s expression sobered and Li felt sadness eke between them, “I love you…” Ellison whispered, pressing their foreheads together, rolling onto his side and lifting his hands to Li’s cheeks, drawing him in for a kiss,

“I love you too…” Li tried to smile but it didn’t feel quite right,

“Hold me,” Ellison whispered, “Billy hold me please,” he pleaded so softly Li only just realised what Ellison had called him, an occasional slip-up that he would usually pick up on and call Ellison _Goody_ over. Ellison seemed distraught now though, eyes beginning to water, so Li drew him closer, wrapping his arms around him tightly,

“I’ve got you Goody,” he uttered, kissing just below Ellison’s ear.

After some time, Ellison turned in his arms, taking up his usual role as the little spoon, moving Li’s arm around him and trailing his fingers across his forearm,

“Li…” Ellison asked quietly, Li let out a soft hum to show he was listening, “Promise me you’ll try to find me,” it made his heart ache to hear it confirmed, to hear that Ellison was feeling the same thing he was, that this would be the last time they’d hear one another’s voice in this life,

“I will do everything I can to find you again,” he assured, and he meant it, curling his arm tighter around Ellison, squeezing him gently, yawning against the back of his neck and listening as Ellison’s breathing evened out and he drifted off to sleep. He pressed one last lingering kiss to a spot of skin just below Ellison’s hairline, nuzzling against his hair before resting his head on the pillow, his eyelids growing heavy, “I’ll find you…” he uttered one last time before he fell asleep, their fingers entwined.


End file.
